Shoe tree



Feb. 12 1924. ,483,065 A. R. ANDERSON l l SHOE TREE Fi1ed Jan. 27 1922 Patented Feb. l2, 1924.

unirse s'rrs PATENT oFFic-E;

ANDREW E. AND'EnsomoE NoE'rHAaLING'roN, NEW JERSEY; ARTHUR' n. ANDERSON EXEcUron or SAID ANDREW n, ANDERSON DECEASED.

lSHOE TREE,

Application filed January 27, 1922. Serial No. 532,185.

T 0 all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, ANDREW R'. ANDERSON, a citizen of the United. States, residing at North Arlington, in the county of Bergen and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Shoev Trees, of which the following is a specification. I

This invention relates toimprovements in shoe trees of that type comprising relative-ly d-isplaceable toe sections or halves, a heel member, and means for relatively separating said toe sections to stretch the shoe withinv Another obj ecty of the invention yisto pro` vide a novel form of connection between the Shanks which are associated with the' heel member and with the eXpansible toe of the f last, the connection being of such nature as to provide -for a positive locking of the parts against accidental disarrangernent after'the last has been properly adjust-ed and placed within the Shoev to be stretched and retained in shape.

'Another object of the inventionv is to so construct the connectiony referred to above that the same will be devoid of' pivoted latch members or similar locking devices of Y a more or less frail nature liable to become distorted, disarranged, or damaged.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure l is a perspective view of a last constructed in accordance with the present invention; p

Figure 2 1s a. horizontal sectional view 1n detail through the shankV members of the last and the connection provided between said members; y

Figure 3 is a bottom plan view of the connection and the end portions of the shank members associated therewith; and

Figure 4 is a detail transverse sectional view on the line 4-4 of Fi `ure 2 looking in -the direction indicated by tie arrows.

The last embodying the invention includes a toe indicated in general by the numeral l and a heel indicatedby the'numeral 2, these parts being connected, in accordance with the invention, in a manner which will pres- `portion of the shoe.

ently be described. The heel 2 is preferably inthe nature of a knob, as is usual in de.;

vices ofthis class, and the toe lr comprises a pair of sections or halves so connected thaty they may be relatively separated and` may adapt themselves to the toe portion of the Shoe within which. they are fitted, in the use of the last. The. connections between the toe sections. which are indicated by the numeral r 3, include a plate 4 having relatively angularly disposed slots 5, receiving pins 6A car,- ried, by the toe sections 3, thep-late beingdisvposed betweenthe sections as shown in Figure l, as is customary, and being adapted, when slid forwardly, to thrust the sections apart thus. expanding the toe as a unit and causing the same to ll and stretch the toe expanding member 4 is eiiectedby an angular displacement of. shank members which extend between the said plate and the heel 2. These shank members are indicated onek by the numeral 7 and thev other by the numeral 8 and the member 7 is pivotally connected at its forward end as at 9 to the plate 4 whereas the member 8 is secured at its rear end to or in the knob comprising the heel member 2.

l The connecting means between theshanks `7 and 8 is indicated in general by the numeral 10, and the same comprises a substanp tially rectangular sleeve including sides 11, a top l2, and a bottom 13. Interiorly the sleeve is of a width slightly greater than the combined thicknessof the shank members 7 and 8, and the said members at their, relatively adjacent ends, are arranged in overlapped relation within the' sleeve, the member 7 being pivotally connected as at 14 at its rear end to: the innerside of one wall 11 of the sleeve 10. The shank member 8 `is capable of being. slidably adjusted through the sleeve sofas to lengthen or shorten the connection as a whole, but it is incapable of the pivotal movement which may be had between the sleeve and the shank member 7. In order to permit of such pivotal move ment of the said shank member' and sleeve, the sleeve is formed in its bottom wall 13 lwith' a notch extending longitudinally inwardly from its end, this notch being de- The movement of thef tion to the sleeve 10, in the opposite direction, is limited however by the engagement of the upper edge of the said shank member against the end of the top wall 12 of the sleeve, sutiicient movement being permitted however to adapt the shank member and sleeve to assume a position slightly out of alignment with each other as shown in Figure 1 of the drawings so as to lock the parts in adjustment.

In order that when the shank member 8 is slid through the sleeve 10 to lengthen or shorten the shank-as a whole and the desired position of adjustment has been reached, the said shank member may be held at adjustment, this member is formed with a longitudinaly series of openings or sockets 15, and a locking stud 16 is carried by that side wall 11 of the sleeve 10 beside which the shank member 8 extends and is engageable in the openings 15 selectively. In order to disengage the locking stud 16 from openings 15 and thus permit of sliding adjustment of the shank member 8 through the sleeve, the said sleeve is to be laterally displaced with relation to the shank member or in other words the said shank member and the wall of the sleevel carrying the stud 16 arevto be moved apart until the stud has disengaged from `the opening 15 in which it was previously seated. Sufficient play is allowed the shank member 8 within the sleeve 10 to provide for displacement of the parts, but the sleeve 4is normally held in such position that its stud 16 will have locking engagement with the shank member 8, by means of a leaf spring 17 secured at one end, as for example by the pivot 14, within the sleeve and at vits other or free end bearing against the adjacent sidel of the shank member 8 thus yieldably holding the saidl member against the wallof the sleevefwhich carries the stud 16. It will be observed that the pivot 14 is located near one end of the sleeve and the locking stud 16 near the opposite end thereof, and inasmuch as one end of the spring 17 is secured by the said pivot 14 and the spring extends in the direction of the last mentioned end of the sleeve, its free end portionwill bear against the shank member 8 in the vicinity of the point of engagement of the stud` 16 with said shank member, and no pressure will be brought to bear kdirectly against the shank member 8 forwardly of this point. As a consequence the shank member may be rocked upon the first mentioned end of the sleeve as a fulcrum and as illustrated f in dotted lines in Figure 2 of the drawings, to effect a disengagement of the member from the locking stud 16, and thisEwill be found to be a most convenient mode of rendering the locking means inactive so that the shank members may be relatively adjusted.

In order to prevent too ready separation of the shank member 8 from the sleeve 10, the said shank member is separably-provided at its forward end with a laterally projecting boss 18 designed to strike against the end of the adjacent side wall 11 of the sleeve 10 when the member 8 has been slid outwardly substantially to the limit.

In using the last, the shank is broken in an upward direction so that the members 7 and 8 will be relatively upwardly inclined as shown in dotted lines in Figure 1, and the last is then placed within the shoe in connection with which it is to be used. Pressure is then brought to bear in a downward direction against the sleeve 10, and preferably upon a laterally projecting nger piece or tongue 19 formed upon. the top 12 of the sleeve. This will serve to straight-r en the shank as a whole and force the toe and heel of the last respectively in a forward and rearward direction. After the shank 'members have assumed the full line position shown in Figure 1 in which position they will have passed slightly out of alignment` the said members will be locked against relative displacement and the last may be permitted to remain in the shoe for the desired length of time. To remove the last it is only necessary to pull upwardly upon the finger piece 19 thus breaking the shank of the last in an upward direction and drawing the toe and heel of the last toward each other.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new is: v

1. In a shoe last, toe and heel parts, shank members connected with said parts, means connecting the shank membersy for relative longitudinal adjustment comprising a locking member pivotally connected to one' of said shank members and slidably engaging the other shank member, the locking memberv and its supporting shank member, as one unit, and the second mentioned shank member, as another unit, being relatively laterally displaceable, means yieldably holding the units against such displacement, and coacting locking means upon the locking and second mentioned shank members arranged to be rendered inactive upon displacement of said members.

2. In a shoe last, toe and heel parts, shank members connected with said parts, means connecting the shank members for relative longitudinal adjustment comprising a locking member pivotally connected to one of said shank members and slidably engaging the other shank member, the locking member andits `supporting shank member, as one unit, and the last mentioned shank member, as another unit, being relatively laterally displaceable, the said second mentioned shank member having a longitudinal series of sockets, a locking stud carried by the locking member engageable in the said sockets interchangeably and disengageable therefrom upon relative displacement of the said second mentioned shank member and locking member, and means yieldably restraining the members from such displacement.

3. In a shoe last, toe and heel parts, shank members connected with said parts, means connecting the shank members for relative longitudinal adjustment comprising asleeve secured at one side to one of said shank members and slidably receiving the other shank member, means carried by the sleeve yieldably holding the last mentioned shank member engaged With the opposite side of the sleeve, the said last mentioned shank member having a longitudinal series oi' sockets, and a stud upon the last mentioned side of the sleeve engageable in said sockets interchangeably, the said last. mentioned shank member being displaceable with relation to the said last .mentioned side of the sleeve against the tension of the holding means whereby to disengage the stud from the sockets.

4. In a shoe last, toe and heel parts, shank members connected with said parts, the connection of one of the shank members permitting oi pivotal movement of said member, a sleeve having spaced sides and a top and a bottom Wall, one of said shank members being received Within one end of the sleeve and pivotally connected to one of said sides thereof, the sleeve slidably receiving the other shank member, a spring Within the sleeve bearing against the last mentioned shank member and yieldably holding the same against the other sidewall of the sleeve, the last mentioned shank member havin a longitudinal series of sockets, and a locking stud upon the last mentioned side of the sleeve engageable in the sockets interchangeably.

5. In a shoe last, toe and heel parts, shank members connected with said parts, the connection of one of the shank members permitting of pivotal movement of said member, a sleeve having spaced sides and a top and a bottom Wall, one of said shank members being received within one end of the sleeve and pivotally connected to one of said sides thereof, the sleeve slidably receiving the other shank member, a spring Within the sleeve bearing against the last mentioned shank member and yieldably holding the same against the other side Wall of the sleeve, the last mentioned shank member having a longitudinal series of sockets, and a locking stud upon the last mentioned side of the sleeve engageable in the sockets interchangeably, the said last mentioned shank member being capable of lateral play Within the sleeve whereby it may be fulcrumed upon one end of thelast mentioned side of the sleeve against the tension of the said spring to effect disengagement from the locking stud and permit of its sliding adjustment.

6. A shoe tree comprising a pair of laterally adjustable toe members, a guide slot in each toe member, a spreader plate arranged to slide in said guide slots, a pair of diagonal slots in said spreader plate, a pair of pins passing through said guide slots and said diagonal slots, and means secured to the rear of said spreader plate for pushing the inner edges of said diagonal slots against said pins to spread said toe members.

7. A shoe tree comprising a pair of laterally adjustable wooden toe members; a guide groove cut into each toe member; a spreader plate arranged to slide in said grooves the confining action of said grooves being such as to prevent undue tilting or distortion of said spreader plate under relatively heavy compressive operating stresses; a pair of diagonal slots in said spreader plate; a pair of pins driven into said toe members in a manner to extend through said grooves and said diagonal slots; a front toggle arm pivoted to the rear of said spreader plate and arranged to push the inner edges of said slots against said pins When said toggle arm is straightened in operation in a manner to apply the sole spreading and advancing force to said toe members; a rear toggle arm pivotally secured to said front toggle arm; and a heel member secured to said rear toggle arm.

In testimony whereof I aiX my signature.

ANDREW R. ANDERSON. [L. s.] 

